On Oct. 13, the final installment of the revamped “Halloween” franchise premiered, bringing audiences back to Haddonfield, Illinois for one final rendition of the Michael Myers and Laurie Strode conflict.
The film completes the three-movie arc preceded by “Halloween” (2018) and “Halloween Kills” (2021). The three-part saga rounds out the 44-year-old story that began in 1978, with the original “Halloween” and Michael’s first terror on a fateful Halloween night.
While its marketing lent itself to a promising buildup, the final film fell extremely flat. The plot and overall focus of the film shifted away from its central characters and suspenseful horror that kept the audience’s attention, instead choosing to focus on a strange love story and creating an origin for a separate villain.
The beauty of the first two films in the revamped series was its seamless references to the original “Halloween” with more daunting kills, matured tones and increased awareness.
This goes completely out the window in the final installment, removing Michael’s character from the entire first half of the film and replacing him with lackluster kills, taking away Michael’s iconic yet eerie style of confidently stalking everyone in the neighborhood.
The setup for this movie should have been the premise for the 2018 film, as it shows Laurie and her granddaughter recovering from the tragedies that unfolded in the town. The time jump and random, apparent ignorance of the characters were extremely frustrating, especially with the careful attention to detail and paranoia set in the two prior movies.
The best scenes, as predicted, were the opening kill scene and the climactic showdown at the end. The opening scene was different from most traditional horrors. While it was a more unique choice, it fell victim to an incomplete and misguided script.
The final showdown between Michael and Laurie is worth sitting through the agony of the rest of the film. 40+ years of trauma is brought to this final moment in a satisfying and thrilling ending, once and for all.
